Decorticating-machine.



M. PRIETO.

DEOORTIGATING MACHINE.

'APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 12, 1911.

1 055 1 006 I v Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

4 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

M.- PRIETO.

DECORTIGATING. MACHINE.-

APPLICATION FILED JAN.12,1911.

1,051,006. Patented Jan.21,1913.

4 SBEETS-SHEET 2.

M. PRIETO.

DEGORTIGATING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 12, 1011.

1,051,006. Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANDURAPII cuQwAsmNn'roN. u. c.

burr ra'rus rr FTQE.

MANUEL PRIETO, OF MERIDA, MEXICO, ASSIGNOR TO PRIETO MACHINE CO. INC., A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

DEGORTIOATING-MACHINE.

Application filed January 12, 1911.

T0 alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MANUEL PRIn'ro, a subject of the King of Spain, and resident of Mrida, Yucatan, Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Decorticating-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to decorticating machines or machines for treating and cleaning the leaves from which strands of fiber are obtained.

The object of this invention is to provide a machine which will avoid the difficulties heretofore met with and which may be operated by unskilled laborers.

The machine as illustrated is provided with a single scutching wheel and a feeding device by means of which the leaves are automatically caused to be operated upon by this wheel and entirely cleaned thereby.

The various features of construction embodying the improvements constituting the subject matter of this invention will appear in connection with the description of the machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like parts in the several views have been given the same reference numerals.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a decortieating machine illustrating the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, partially in section, with a part of the feeding mechanism removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partially in section, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partially in section, taken on the line H of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In order that the operation of the machine as a whole and the particular improvements constituting this invention may be clearly understood, the general construction of the machine will first be described and then its mode of operation when in use.

A single scutching wheel 1 is provided. with a number of knives or scrapers 2. Certain of these knives are somewhat longer than the others, extending somewhat beyond the shorter knives, preferably alternately positioned therewith, as indicated by 2 The scutching wheel is mounted upon a shaft 3 and is rotated from a suitable source of power by means of the driving pulley t.

The main frame or body of the machine Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21,1913.

Serial No. 602,255.

is shown at 5, attached to the front of which is a horizontal support or guide 6. A feed-- ing chain 7 is mounted upon the pulleys S and 9 and revolves in a horizontal plane inside the guides. The pulley 9 is the driving pulley for the feed chain 7 and is mounted upon a vertical shaft 10, which is provided at its lower end with a beveled gear 1L meshing with a pinion 12 upon the shaft 13, which is driven by any suitable means, such as by the gears at the opposite end thereof, as shown in Fig. 41.

A pressure shoe 14: is held against the inner side of the feed chain 7 by adjustable compression springs and holds the chain firmly against the guide 6 at the point opposite the scutching wheel 1.

A vertical feeding chain 15 is mounted upon pulleys 16 and 17 directly above the horizontal feed chain 7 for a portion of its length. This vertical feed chain 15 is provided with projections or hubs 18 which engage upwardly projecting teeth 19 on the horizontal feed chain 7, thus causing the vertical feed chain 15 to be driven from the horizontal feed chain 7 at the same speed. The pulley 16 is provided with teeth 20 and the pulley 17 with teeth 21 which receive the hubs 18 of the vertical feeding chain 15, thus causing these pulleys to be driven from the chain 15.

A pressure shoe 22 is positioned over the portion of the vertical feed chain 15 immediately in front of the scutching wheel 1. This shoe is pressed downwardly by means of pressure springs and holds the chain 15 firmly in engagement with the chain 7, as shown in Fig. 1.

An inclined guide 23, provided with a finger 2 1 at one end which enters a groove in the chain 7 extends upwardly at an angle therefrom. The guide 23 is grooved and is positioned so that the chain 15 rides in said groove for a portion of its travel after passing under the shoe 22, in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

An upper guard 25 and a lower guard 26 are attached to the frame of the machine and are so positioned as to prevent the leaves from becoming entangled with each other or in the machinery, as will be more fully explained in connection with the description of the operation of the machine.

The horizontal feed chain 7 is provided near its outer edge with upwardly projecting teeth 27 and the pulley 16 is constructed with a portion of large diameter on one side provided with teeth 28, which are rotated in proximity to the teeth 27, as shown in Fig. 3. The pulley 16 is constructed at its opposite side with a portion of smaller diameter provided with teeth 29, which rotate in proximity to the teeth 19 of the chain 7, which are higher than the teeth 27, also shown in Fig. 3. The object of this construction is to cause the portion of the leaves nearest the scutching wheel 1 to be forced or bent downwardly as the same are fed forward by the teeth 27 and 28, thus avoid ing an abrupt bending at one point as the same pass into engagement with the scutching wheel.

An angular member 31 is mounted upon the extending portion of the curved scutching surface of the main frame 5 at the point where the leaves emerge from under the" knives 2 and is provided with a fiat surface which is perpendicular to said curved surface and parallel with the-ends of the knives 2 and 2 the knives 2 extending and revolving close to this fiat surface. This member 31 and the long knives 2 elfect a final scraping or cleaning of the strands as the same are carried between the end of these long knives 2 and this member.

A delivery chain 32 and a guard or shoe 33 are mounted in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to receive the strands after being cleaned. This delivery chain 32 is driven by a sprocket .34 mounted upon the shaft 13. The chain passes over an idler sprocket 3 1 at the point where the strands are received thereupon from the guide 6 and immediately drops to a lower horizontal position, traveling under the shoe or guide 33, .as shown in Fig. 1. The object of this construction is to remove .the cleaned strands to a lower position so that the same will not become entangled with the leaves which are being carried around by the feed chain 7. From this lower position the delivery chain 32 may be extended to a suitable distance away from the machine.

The knives 2 are usually secured. to projecting lugs upon the scutching wheel 1 by bolts, in the manner shown in Fig. 1, and in order to prevent fiber strands from -be coming entangled with the heads of the bolts a hollow protector 35 is mounted over the same, in the manner shown in Fig. 3.

When the machine is set up ready for use a flat table of wood or metal extends over the outer portion of the feed chain 7 and the pulleys 8 and 9, so that the leaves slide over this table as the same are carried forward for the first operation thereupon by the scutching wheel.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The leaves are introduced transversely under the pulley 16 and are engaged thereby and by the feed chains 7 and 15. The teeth 27 of the chain 7 and the teeth 28 of the pulley 16 force the inner end of the leaf downward below the portion which is engaged between the teeth 19 of the chain 7 and the teeth 29 of the pulley 16. The leaves are now carried forward and one end thereof engaged and cleaned by the action of the knives 2 thereupon and while being acted upon by theknives are gripped and held securely between theohain 7 and the chain 15 by the pressure shoe 22. This effects the cleaning of one end of the leaves, or of approximately one halfof the length of the same, and as the leaves are carried forward by the movement of the chains 7 and 15 the finger 2 1 of the inclined guide 23 engages the leaves and causes the same to .be carried up over the guide 23 by the chain 15. lVhile the leaves are being carried over the guide 23 the cleaned portion is raised :and is caught between :the outwardly curved portion 6 of the guide -6 and the outwardly extending teeth 7 of the chain 7. In Figs. land a a :leaf is shown at A being carried upwardly .over the guide 23 as just described. As the cleaned portion of the leaf is caught and gripped between the teeth 7 of the chain 7 and the guide 6 its further movement over the inclined guide 23 causes the opposite .or uncleaned end to be raised to a vertical position, as shown at B in Fig. 1, and as the same is carried around the circular portion of the guide 6 by the teeth 7 of the chain ,7 this uncleaned end falls over upon the guides 25 and 26 successively to the position shown at C in Fig. 1. As the chain 7 continues to carry the leaf around upon the guide 6,, this outer or uncleaned end falls or hangs downwardly and is car ried in this position, hanging over the guide 6, until it is brought around the second time and operated upon by the knives 2 of the scutching wheel 1. During this second operation of the scutching wheel the "leaves hang over the guide 6 and are held between the guide and the chain ,7 by the pressure shoe 1 4. After this second operation of the scutching wheel upon the leaf the same is entirely cleaned and the strands reaching the open portion of the guides 6 fall off from the same and are caught by the delivery chain 32 and carried under the guide 33 at the point marked 33 in Fig. l and are then carried by the chain 32 to the point of delivery. After the leaf has passed under the main portion or long outer edge of the knives 2 and is cleaned thereby between these knives and the curved surface of the bed 55, the strands engage the final cleaning member 31 and are carried upwardly at right angles to their former course and .engaged by the ends of the long knives 2 This efiects a final cleaning and insures the the operator. The liability of the leaves becoming jammed and clogging in their course is avoided by means of the continuous movement of the two feeding chains, both of which engage the leaf and hold the same during the first cleaning operation and then one of the same chains carrying the leaf forward over the incline which effects the reversing of the same. It is by means of this continuous engagement of one of the chains with the leaves during this portion of the operation that all clogging of the machine or of the leaves is avoided and a smooth and continuous operation insured, which requires no attention on the part of the operator other than to place the leaves in position.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely difierent embodiments of my invention designed without departing from the scope of the appended claims, I intend that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative merely of an operative embodiment of my invention and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. In a decorticating machine, in combination, a scutching wheel, a feed chain adapted to revolve in a horizontal plane, a second feed chain adapted to revolve in a vertical plane and during a portion of its travel being in operative engagement with said first feed chain, an inclined guide over which said second feed chain moves during a portion of its travel, said first and second feed chains being adapted cooperatively to grip and carry the leaves into engagement with and past said scutching wheel, said second feed chain then carrying the leaves over said inclined guide and said first feed chain then carrying the leaves a second time into engagement with and past said scutching wheel, and means for reversing the position of the leaves between the first and second engagement thereof by said scutching wheel.

2. In a decorticating machine, in combination, a scutching wheel, a feed chain adapted to revolve in a horizontal plane, a second feed chain driven by said first feed chain and adapted to revolve in a vertical plane and during a portion of its travel being in operative engagement with said first feed chain, an inclined guide over which said second feed chain moves during a portion of its travel, said first and second feed chains being adapted cooperatively to grip andcarry the leaves into engagement with and past said scutching wheel, said second feed chain then carrying the leaves over said inclined guide and said first feed chain then carrying the leaves a second time into engagement with and past said scutching wheel, and means for reversing the position of the leaves between the first and second engagement thereof by said scutching wheel.

3. In a decorticating machine, in combination, a scutching wheel, a feed chain adapted to revolve in a horizontal plane, a second feed chain provided with hubs adapted to be engaged by projections on said first feed chain whereby the same is driven and re volved in a vertical plane, an inclined guide over which said second feed chain moves during a portion of its travel, said first and second feed chains being adapted cooperatively to grip and carry the leaves into engagement with and past said scutching wheel, said second feed chain then carrying the leaves over said inclined guide and said first feed chain then carrying the leaves a second time into engagement with and past said scutching wheel, and means for reversing the position of the leaves between the first and second engagement thereof by said scutching wheel.

4. In a decorticating machine, in combination, a scutching wheel provided with a plurality of long and short knives, a portion of the frame of said machine being adapted to cooperate with all of said knives to clean the leaves as the same are brought into operative engagement therewith, a member adapted to cooperate with said long knives and to effect a final cleaning of said leaves, and means for bringing said leaves into operative engagement with said knives.

5. In a decorticating machine, in combination, a scutching wheel provided with a plurality of long and short knives, a portion of the frame of said machine having an operating surface adapted to cooperate with all of said knives to clean the leaves as the same are brought into operative engagement therewith, a member having an operating surface at right angles to said first named operating surface of the frame and adapted to cooperate with said long knives and to efiect a final cleaning of said leaves, and means for bringing said leaves into operative engagement with said knives.

6. In a decorticating machine, in combination, a scutching wheel provided with a plurality of knives, the frame of said machine being provided with two operating surfaces at an angle with each other and adapted to cooperate with said knives to effect the cleaning of the leaves as the same are brought into operative engagement therewith, and means for bringing said leaves into operative engagement with said surfaces and knives.

7 In a decorticating machine, in combination, a scutching wheel provided with "a plurality of knives, the frame of said machine being provided with two operating surfaces at an angle with each other and adapted .to cooperate with saidknives to eifectthe cleaning of the leaves as the same are brought successively into operative engagement therewith, and means :for bringing said leaves successively into-operative engagement with said surfaces and knives.

8. In a deco-rticating machine, in combination, a scutching wheel, a feed chainadapted to revolve in a horizontal plane and provided with engaging projections extending vertically from its outer edge and also with engaging projections extending vertically engagementtherewith, and an inclined guide having .a finger at one end extending into a groove in said horizontal chain.

10. In a .decort-icating machine, in'combination, .a scutching wheel, a feed chain adapted :to revolve in a :horizontal plane, means :adapted toicooperate with said feed chain whereby the leaves are brought into engagement withvsaid scutching wheel, and .a deliver-y chain adapted to receive the cleaned strands and to convey the same at :an abrupt :angle from said feed chain.

11. Ina decorticating machine, in combination, a scutching wheel provided with a plurality of knives secured to projections on the periphery thereof by :bolts, a protector secured to said .scutching wheel and positioned to cover the projecting ends of said bolts, and means for'bringing the leaves into operative engagement with said knives.

Signed at Progreso, Mexico, this 15 day of Dec, 1910.

MANUEL PRIETO. Witnesses:

JUAN 'SARTUE, Snnoio BUAS O.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, -D. C. 

